Spanish Princess Cristina de Borbón and her husband's long awaited tax-fraud trial opened Monday, leading to embarrassments to the monarchy of the country.
According to the Wall Street Journal, historians claim that this is the first time in history that a Spanish monarch has ever been tried. This is all happening amid King Felipe VI's strong efforts to rebuild the monarchy in the country and increase its influence over the nation's politics. The 50-year-old sibling of the King faces up to eight years imprisonment if she gets convicted on the two counts of tax fraud charged against her.
Meanwhile, her 47-year-old husband, Iñaki Urdangarín, could be facing up to 19 years of jail time as he faces more charges, including money laundering, embezzlement of public funds, influence peddling, and falsifying private contracts. According to Yahoo News, The royal couple are tried with 18 other suspects at the island of Mallorca.
Public prosecutors have avoided filing charges against the Kings sister, but Spanish law private entities can charge her with criminal complaints, which is what the anti-graft advocates, "Manos Limpias" (Clean Hands) did. The privately owned anti-corruption organization filed the charges against the princess using the "people's accusation."
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that one of the judges announced that the court would decide whether to drop the charges on February 9. Corruption in the nation has increase, with a series of graft cases that includes the former International Monetary Fund head Rodrigo Rato, other bankers, and members of major political parties. This controversy has pressured Spain's legal system to impose tougher actions against those involved.
The King stripped off Cristina de Borbón's title last year, in an attempt to distance himself from her. According to analysts, the trial against the princess and her husband will enrage people and further destroy the image of monarchy in the country, which is currently facing political instability.
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